Lead forklift operator vs mill operator

The differences between lead forklift operators and mill operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a lead forklift operator and a mill operator. Additionally, a lead forklift operator has an average salary of $42,633, which is higher than the $39,045 average annual salary of a mill operator.

The top three skills for a lead forklift operator include pallets, safety committee and electric pallet jack. The most important skills for a mill operator are CNC, OSHA, and math.

Lead forklift operator vs mill operator overview

	Lead Forklift Operator	Mill Operator
Yearly salary	$42,633	$39,045
Hourly rate	$20.50	$18.77
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	51,186	64,574
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 57%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Lead forklift operator vs mill operator salary

Lead forklift operators and mill operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lead Forklift Operator	Mill Operator
Average salary	$42,633	$39,045
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $50,000	Between $31,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	-	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Freeport-McMoRan
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between lead forklift operator and mill operator education

There are a few differences between a lead forklift operator and a mill operator in terms of educational background:

	Lead Forklift Operator	Mill Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 57%	High School Diploma, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Lead forklift operator vs mill operator demographics

Here are the differences between lead forklift operators' and mill operators' demographics:

	Lead Forklift Operator	Mill Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1%	Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 16.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 2.7% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 14.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 2.4% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between lead forklift operator and mill operator duties and responsibilities

Lead forklift operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Used WMS and bar code scanning systems to insure order and inventory accuracy for shipping, receiving and warehousing.
Locate and relocate and pallets throughout warehouse facility.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Schedule LTL'S for pick ups of loads for shipping.
Load and unload LTL and TLD trailers in the most optimal way without damaging the freight.

Mill operator example responsibilities.

Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Perform all work in respirator and other proper PPE.
Skil at training other machinists on CNC machines in this shop.
Assemble parts, operate CNC lathe and mills and adjust off sets.
Perform QC testing on products, filing paperwork per company and ISO standards.
Rebuild Rotex sifters, fabricate and replace screens, replace shoes and anvils in impact mills.

Lead forklift operator vs mill operator skills

Common lead forklift operator skills

Pallets, 16%
Safety Committee, 9%
Electric Pallet Jack, 6%
Forklift Operators, 5%
Inventory Control, 5%
RF Scanner, 4%

Common mill operator skills

CNC, 7%
OSHA, 7%
Math, 6%
Calipers, 6%
Hand Tools, 5%
Safety Rules, 5%

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Lead Forklift Operator
Lead Forklift Operator vs Mill Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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